All over the world the subject of ghosts is becoming increasingly popular thanks to movies and television shows such as Paranormal Activity, Ghost Hunters, Ghost Whisperer, Ghost Adventures, and the classic Ghostbusters. Two-thirds of Americans believe in science and/or religion, but what can be said for the rest of America? The truth is over one-third of Americans believe that ghosts are real; however, science and common knowledge have the upper hand and prove otherwise.
Many people all over the world have asked themselves this question: “Are ghosts real?” To those who say yes, what exactly is a ghost, and where do they come from? A ghost is considered a spirit or apparition that does not or cannot “move on” or proceed to the afterlife (“Are Ghost Real or” 1) Understanding ghost and where they come from is very difficult because there is not solid evidence when it comes to ghosts and eyewitnesses. One of the causes is that there are so many cultures and religions that believe in different things about life after death (Thadani 1). Also, there is no a universal definition of what a ghost is, what it does, or what it can do (“Are Ghost Real? Science” 2). Due to the over increasing popularity of ghost among tv and movies, the subject is becoming more and more stereotypical. Another reason the existence of ghosts is such a well debated topic is because there are countless eyewitnesses claiming to have seen ghosts (“Are Ghost Real or” 1).
Many people that believe in ghosts believe that they can be explained through science. The great Albert Einstein suggested that if energy cannot be created or destroyed, but changed into a different form (“Are Ghost Real? Science” 3). This can cause a person to think that their body can be manif...
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...ssumption about ghosts and whether they exist or not may be true, but there is no solid evidence to prove so in this day and age; also, there has not been any evidence shown from neutral parties that makes the evidence trustworthy (“Paranormal Education” 1). Fiction and media have made ghosts a popular topic, but it has not been supported by actual scientific research, so it makes it hard to say whether apparitions are real (2). Living in today’s society, there are so many people who will do outrageous things just for publicity, and not to mention there are numerous mental disorders that cause people to hallucinate making it that much harder to differentiate between fact and fiction. There are things that cannot be explained alone, but that does not mean that it is a ghost and that they are real (“Why are” 2). It is safe to say that these ghostly ghouls do not exist.
As David Hufford said, in Beings Without Bodies, much of folk belief about spirits is found to be reasonable. This account is reported under his experience-centered theory. Hufford said much of the belief of spirits is reasonable as it is established on logical understanding from a person’s own experience. However, Hufford said not all beliefs are backed up by experience or even evidence. Some beliefs are made purely on faith. (Hufford p.11)
Through out the short novella, 'The Turn of the Screw,' by Henry James, the governess continually has encounters with apparitions that seem to only appear to her. As Miles' behavior in school worsens so that he is prevented from returning, and as Flora becomes ill with a fever, the governess blames these ghosts for corrupting the children, Miles and Flora, and labels them as evil and manipulative forces in their lives. But why is it that these ghosts only seem to appear to the governess even when the children are present at the time of the sightings by the governess? Evidence from the short story leads the reader to believe that the ghosts are not real but are merely the evidence of the fragmenting sanity of the governess.
Ghost- a vision of a dead person that is believed to appear or become visible to the living as a vague image. There have been many cases in reality where one sees the ghost of their deceased loved ones or encounter some sort of paranormal activity in their life. “Proof” by David Auburn plays around with the “Ghost story” in his play to represent identity, memory of Catherine.
“The strange thing about the paranormal is that no matter how often [a person proves] it, it remains unproven” (Chopra). Given personal experience and evidence by professionals that have dedicated their lives to find answers regarding the paranormal and the afterlife. There will always be skeptics so long as there are humans with their own thoughts and opinions. Despite what skeptics say,ghosts exist; there are several eyewitness accounts, religious traditions, and traditional cultural stories that support the paranormal.
Our encounters with the ghastly and glorious ghosts of St. Albans are fairly typical of the experiences of the other paranormal investigative teams you will read about in The Ghosts of St. Albans
The origin of ghost encounters has been dated back to the early times in history. According to the History Channel, “in the first century A.D. Pliny, the Younger recorded one of the first ghost
The word “ghost” originates from the Aged English word “gast,” and its synonyms are “soul, spirit [good or bad spirit], existence, breath,” and “demon” (etymonline.com). In the book, The Woman Warrior, that is, ironically, subtitled as Memoirs of a Girlhood Amid Ghosts, the author, Maxine Hong Kingston, uses the word “ghost” as a metaphor to typify her confusion concerning discovering a difference amid reality and unreality – the difference that divides her American present that prefers and her Chinese past that her mother, Valiant Orchid, filters into her mind across talk-stories that steadily daunt her to cross her established bounds. Ghosts, in the book, change reliant on point of view. Anybody whose deeds deviates from what is satisfactory in one area is a ghost according to the associates of that society. To Chinese people, like Valiant Orchid, Americans are ghosts. On the supplementary hand, Chinese are ghosts according to Chinese-Americans (including Kingston, who finds her past loaded alongside frightening Chinese ghosts). For Kingston, Ghosts, however, are not always scary; in fact, a little of them enthuse...
Chinese culture has many interpretations ghosts. One way they are seen as is people who have disgraced their family or country. An example of this in the novel is Maxine's aunt. She is considered a ghost because she disgraced her family by having a baby outside of marriage. They call her "Ghost! Dead ghost! Ghost! You have never been born." (Kinston 14) She drowns herself in the well to become one of the most feared ghost, the Shui Gui or watery ghost. These ghosts are said to be waiting for their victims, to pull them into the water to take the drowned ones place. In the novel another example of what the Chinese consider ghosts are American people. Sometimes they feel haunted by this unfamiliar culture, just as a ghost would haunt. "But America has been full of machines and ghosts- Taxi Ghosts, Bus Ghosts, Police Ghosts, Fire Ghosts, Meter Reader Ghosts, Tree Trimming Ghosts, Five-and-Dime Ghosts." (Kong 96) These examples are American people of any ethnicity. They are called ghosts because the Chinese are not familiar with the culture. Another example of the unfamiliarity is when, "Her husband looked like one of the ghosts passing the car wind...
There are many theories as to how someone or something becomes a ghost. This is called Paranormal which means beyond normal and scientific name is parapsychology, which means study of interactions between living organisms and their external environment that seem to transcend the known physical laws of nature (Britannica, 147). In 1920, Dr. William McDougall was the first scientific psychical who research about Paranormal Activity (Stefanik, 2000). According to Stefanik, Paranormal experiences often seem weird, uncanny, or unnatural. Typically they are quite rare but there are a few exceptional "stars" such as who have regular paranormal experiences and may show seemingly consistent paranormal ability (Daniel, 2004). Different types of scientists who researched about paranormal activity was spiritualists. The scientists accepted paranormal to be real. There are believers and nonbelievers about the paranormal phenomenon. Discussion about parapsychological phenomena has assumed emotional overtones, unsuitable to scientific discipline, and outspoken but contradictory opinions are still voiced (Cauz, 2010, p.147)
The Nelly Butler hauntings is referred to as the first recorded ghost story in American history (LiBrizzi 5), and possibly the most exciting hauntings to date as there are still many unsolved mysteries. The apparition appeared on more than 30 separate occasions to over 100 witnesses in Sullivan, Maine, just over fifteen years after the American Revolution (5-6). Although the Nelly Butler apparition is one of the most convincing ghosts of all time, it was subject to suspicions of fraud. These claims turn out to be groundless as the evidence reveals the ghost to be genuine.
In these days many people say that they have experienced with Ghosts, Vampires, and Zombies and some people say that they have seen some, and they negotiate their thoughts with the people they know so the number of believers on these things has been rapidly increased. In another article titled “ Conspiracy Theories: why we believe the unbelievable”, written by Michael Shermer he talks about the reason of why many people make up some thoughts, which do not have enough evidence or do not related to what the reality says. He mentioned the JFK conspiracy saying” A poll this month found that 61% of Americans who responded still
Are ghosts real? That is the question that most of society deliberates day after day. The true definition of a ghost is a soul or spirit of a deceased individual that can appear in visible form or other manifestations to the living. Ghosts are of the most common paranormal belief in the world. Most people believe in ghosts because of a personal experience, whether that was seeing or sensing an unexplained presence. Who wouldn’t want to believe that our beloved family members are looking for us?
For many years, people have debated whether or not spirits are real. Some people get scared at the fact that there might be something unknown lurking in their house in the middle of the night making their footsteps known to everyone in it. Maybe that person feels watched upon or feel some kind of presence in their home, or even sees shadows moving their way through rooms. Different people around the world have their own opinions based on religion and experiences when talking about angels, demons, and the spirits that have life after death. New technology is getting closer to detecting these energies happening in the world today. The history of haunting dates back many years, and more people want to get involved because of the new technology.
Paranormal activity means unusual things that occur, that is not normally expected. Paranormal means beyond the range of normal experience or scientific explanation. According to Stefanik (2000) “investigation into paranormal activity evolved into the field of parapsychology”. Ghosts, spirits, and scary stories have always been a part of our nation and society for years. Spiritual movement of the late 1900s, had people fascinated with spiritual hope that there would possibly be life after death (Stefanik, 2000). People in society set out to do research, not just focusing on the reality of life after death, but to study a variety of forms on psychic phenomena (Jason, 2000). As life goes on paranormal activity will always be a myth to some people and will be reality to others. Vampires are preternatural being, commonly believed to be reanimated corpses, which feast on the blood of sleeping persons at night. According to (Origins and History of Vampires. 2000) vampires are “mythical creatures of the night that lived in dead bodies, feasted on the lives of the unsuspecting people and prolonged their unholy lives by drinking fresh blood. Before vampire traits, vampires were defined as ghosts, evil spirits, ghouls, and demons. According to Origins and History of Vampire 2000 “The term vampire did not exist until 19th century. The word caused an uncontrollable outburst of fear. According to “various evil spirits roamed the lands and caused havoc upon population that tried to defend it by using various folklore tales and religion.
Whether we choose to believe in the paranormal or not, we all have to realize that